the Homework war

Patrick is our oldest child. He is very imaginative and loves to play. He will be 10 next month.
Since the inception of homework, he has fought us in getting it done. If it is something he enjoys, it takes no time at all. Two hours is the average time it takes to get him to do a 20 minute assignment that he does not like. Oh the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, and I thought girls were dramatic (only experienced through other people's girls, not having my own).
This morning, Patrick was running late for school, again. We have told him he is responsible to have his back pack ready to go the night before. "Put your home work and needed stuff in the pack as soon as your home work is done," I told him this morning. He argues that he does not like being told what to do. I laugh at that, as most of life, when you are employed by some one else, you must do as told. But then I realized that we have a great learning opportunity. I told Patrick that when he argues and fights with Dad and Mom about what we are asking him to do, he is not following Christ, but the adversary. I told him that the things we are asking him to do are not bad things. If we asked him to steal from some one, then I would understand him refusing to what we were asking. But the things we are asking him to do will help him prepare for adult life. He complained that it was not easy, and I agreed. Life is not easy, but if we prepare, it can be less complicated and seem easier. (Which reminds me that I need to do the laundry to be prepared and make it easier to find clean clothes.)
We also talked about that it is what we learn is what we take with us to eternity. The Lord wants us to peruse learning. And learning does not end as we walk out of the doors of school.
Of course, in talking about this with Patrick, I am thinking to myself that this is also applied to me. (Everything about me! HA HA!) I too must be willing to listen to the promptings I receive, and not complain when the answer to prayer might be no or not yet.
So hopefully homework might not be as big a fight today as it has been in the past. And I will work on better accepting the promptings I receive.